Sailing through the Troubled Waters of Foreign Policy Dilemmas, Domestic Political Polarization and Cultural Clashes

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Bill Clinton and Loretta Lynch: What on earth were they thinking?

I was planning on doing a post on the recently completed two year, $7,000,000 attempt by a Republican congressional committee to purportedly get at the truth of what happened at Benghazi back in 2012, but to any fair minded individual this seventh investigation by them has been actually aimed like most of the others at blaming Hillary Clinton for as much as possible. Never mind that the Washington Post editorial board has concluded that their 800 page report adds “exactly nothing substantial to the story.”

None of these investigations have proven any egregious actions by Hillary, but innuendo-wise, they have been a great success. Altogether they form one of several pillars that hold up Hillary’s public image of untrustworthiness. One of the great jokes of the race is that Donald Trump, who blatantly lies whenever he feels like it, gets a better score on trustworthiness in polls.

“Benghazi” has been a long running scam, but unfortunately for Hillary it accidentally uncovered the use of her private email server and the investigation of that has not been a scam. It is that email folly that still gives Bernie Sanders a reed of presidential hope to cling to, assuming the Justice Department will come out with a report before the election. If by chance Hillary is indicted for something, welcome back Bernie.

Here is my take on the Clinton email folly. I agree with them that there has been something like a “right wing conspiracy” for decades to nail them in any way possible. So I understand the paranoia that led Hillary to have a private server so she could control access to her emails. Benghazi exemplifies how much bad press the right will make out of anything.

But she didn’t think it through, the security issue, and just how bad it looks in general. Is there anyone out there who actually believes that the only emails she deleted were personal, all talk of baby baptisms or the like? Of course, some of those emails had political aspects to them. Frank talk that could be spun like a top by her enemies. Pretending that is not true is like taping an “I’m lying” label on your forehead.

Ironically, that sense of self-protection and that odd, Clintonesque assumption that somehow they can get by setting their own rules (a tendency developed through past success I guess) has given her foes a fat carcass to feed upon as long as the email issue lingers.

It can only be the Clintonesque mind set that allowed Bill Clinton to think he could “stop by” Lynch’s plane in Phoenix for a social visit while they shared the same airport for awhile a few days ago. It is hard to imagine no one pointing out the awful optics of this meeting with the Attorney General while his wife is still under investigation. Also, it is hard to understand Loretta Lynch allowing him on the plane, but what is she going to say to the former president who helped in her own career: Get off the damn plane? How many times have any of us found ourselves in a situation which we realize is not good but felt so awkward that we did no more than hope it would pass soon?

This TV morning I watched Jonathan Capehart grill Ms. Lynch on the inappropriate meeting and he was like a dog with a bone, much better than the usual political interview. In one form or another he wouldn’t let go of the question: “What on earth were you thinking ?” And the Attorney General kept repeating a mantra about how little she had to do with the investigation and that she would accept the FBI’s recommendations, but it all sounded so bureaucratic. And Capeheart kept coming back to the question of “what on earth….?”

Can’t these politicians and bureaucrats just occasionally get real and say: “I screwed up.”

Loretta. Can I call you Loretta? After all I call Hillary, Hillary. Look, here’s what you needed to say: You know what? I just wasn’t thinking. I’ve know Bill Clinton for……etc. and when he stopped by I was happy to see him and, frankly, the optics never occurred to me. It hurts a lot that this has cast a shadow on the impartiality of the investigation, but I assure you that the investigation has been conducted by the FBI separate from my office and I plan on enacting whatever recommendations I am given. Since that has been so clear to me, I forgot for a moment how it would look to others and believe me, I could not be more sorry about that.

Had she said something like that, Jonathan Capehart would have shut up a lot sooner. Oh, well.

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P. S. – Thinking of how often Bill and Hillary serve up questionable practices to their enemies to skewer reminds me of Tiger Woods playing golf in his hey day. Occasionally he would hit a very bad shot and then make a brilliant recovery with his next stroke. I often imagined him unconsciously making the bad shot, so he would have the opportunity to make a great one. Ponder that for awhile.

IN A NUTSHELL…..

This blog will examine whether we Americans are to be masters of our destiny or victims of fate. We live in an age of increasing complexity, misinformation and ever more rapid change. We face grave problems as a nation, yet we are so polarized that we can't stand to speak with those who differ with us about them. Are we just passengers on our own Titanic? Or can we come together to save the ship? That's the central issue this blog will revolve around.

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